Home occupation gardening classes are approved in Coon Rapids

A Coon Rapids woman, who has converted most of her yard into a food-growing area, now plans to offer gardening classes at her home.

The Coon Rapids Planning Commission has granted Marcia Baudino, 1656 127th Ave. N.W., a conditional use permit to conduct gardening classes as a home occupation.

Under her proposal, Baudino will hold the classes in one of the rooms in her house, then take the participants on a tour of the garden plots.

Hours of operation will be by appointment only Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and sometimes on a Saturday morning.

No more than three people will take the class at one time and there will be no outside employees, according to Planner Scott Harlicker.

The only conditions of commission approval were no more than 30 hours of classes per week limited to the hours proposed by Baudino and all vehicles associated with the home occupation must be parked on the driveway.

“Over the past seven years I have converted almost my entire yard to a food producing paradise,” Baudino wrote in a letter to the commission.

“The backyard has permanent beds for annual vegetables as well as strawberry and raspberry beds..